Major Gift Officer

HUMANE ANIMAL RESCUE OF PITTSBURGH•Pittsburgh, PA

About The Position

Position Summary: The Major Gift Officer (MGO) is responsible for identifying, cultivating, solicitating, and stewarding major donors in support of the organization’s mission. This role manages a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects and builds meaningful, long-term relationships that result in increased philanthropic investment. The MGO plays a critical role in advancing organizational priorities by aligning donor interests with funding needs and ensuring an exceptional donor experience rooted in trust, transparency, and impact.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
Minimum of 3–5 years of frontline fundraising experience, including major gift solicitation.
Ability to clearly articulate organization mission and strategies to a broad range of people.
Demonstrated knowledge of the Pittsburgh community at large.
Strong time management and project management skills.
Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
Comfort using CRM/donor database systems (e.g., Raiser’s Edge).

Nice To Haves

Experience in animal welfare, veterinary medicine, healthcare, or mission-driven nonprofits.
Experience working with boards and senior leadership in donor cultivation.
CFRE or progress toward certification.

Responsibilities

Manage a portfolio of approximately 150-200 major gift prospects and donors, with a primary focus on leadership and planned gift commitments.
Develop and implement individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans for each assigned donor.
Conduct face-to-face, virtual, and phone meetings with donors and prospects to build relationships and directly solicit support.
Prepare and present tailored proposals aligned with donor interests and organizational priorities.
Meet or exceed annual revenue and activity goals.
Ensure timely and personalized stewardship, including impact reporting, acknowledgments, and recognition.
Partner with program staff to communicate outcomes and mission impact to donors.
Maintain accurate, up-to-date donor records and interactions in the donor database/CRM.
Collaborate closely with the Senior Director of Philanthropy, leadership team, board members, and volunteers to support donor strategies.
Support leadership and board members in donor engagement and solicitations as appropriate.
Participate in campaign planning, special initiatives, and long-term fundraising strategies.
Identify and qualify new major gift prospects through research, referrals, and engagement activities.
Continuously build and strengthen the major gift pipeline to support sustainable growth.